Compulsive gambling is a major and devastating problem with severe economic consequences. With the proliferation of gambling establishments in recent years, there has been dramatic escalation in legislation in this area. A number of groups have expressed concern about compulsive gamblers, and the economic consequences that follow from compulsive gaming. As a result, this is an area that has become a target of concern for state legislatures.
Many states are looking at instituting legislation that prohibits a person, who voluntarily places himself or herself on a state supported and maintained disassociated person or exclusion list, from entering the premises of any gambling establishment in that state. Currently, in the state of Missouri, individuals may voluntarily place themselves on a gambler's exclusion list. They do this by providing the state gaming commission with personal information when they fill out a Disassociated Persons Questionnaire.
Typically this information may include, but is not limited to: the individual's name, address, Driver's License (state and number), Social Security Number (SSN), and could also include personal information such as a recent photo of the individual. The applicant is required to sign a Waiver of Liability as well as an Authorization and Request to Release Information form. After a careful screening process, to determine the applicant has made a sound decision by placing their name on the list, the state will add the applicant name to the list. Once the information is reviewed and processed by an agent of the Missouri Gaming Commission, the individual is informed that his or her name has been placed on the gambler's exclusion list and he or she will be held liable for criminal trespass, if found in a gaming establishment. A copy of the exclusion list is circulated on a regular basis to casinos. Failure of casinos to identify and exclude individuals on the exclusion list can result in fines and or the closure of the establishment. In Missouri, there is legislation enforcing the exclusion of individuals who are listed on the state's exclusion list. A number of other states are expected to follow with similar enforcement provisions in the near future.
In a busy casino, a typical night involves a high volume of transactions of which check cashing represents a significant means whereby patrons gain access to cash. In this situation, the casino strives to be efficient by completing transactions without undue delay or unnecessary embarrassment to the individual cashing the check. In the fast changing sea of faces often present in casinos, neither the tellers nor their supervisors typically develop personal relationships with the gaming patrons. Consequently, there is a need to develop a system of quickly and efficiently ascertaining whether the individual presenting a check for cashing has or has not been listed on the gambler's exclusion list put out by the state gaming commission. At present there is only one process available to the casino that allows them the ability to review and compare each customers personal information against the information provided by the state gaming commission and this would be a manual identification at the point when a check is presented for cash at the cage.
Casinos are required to perform due diligence necessary to ensure that every person presenting a check for cashing is not on the state's disassociated list. This is typically accomplished by manually reviewing the information on the list, provided by the state, with the same information presented by the check writer, i.e., if the list requires a Social Security Number (SSN), then the casino will also require a SSN for comparison on the list. If there is a match or hit between the individual presenting a check for cashing and one listed on the Exclusion list, security will be summoned for further inspection of the check writer and the information supplied by the gaming commission. If after a visual inspection, it is determined that the check writer is listed on the Exclusion List, the casino must notify the police who then must file criminal trespass charges against the check writer.
Current concerns for the casinos would be the check writer's time spent waiting in line (while their information is reviewed and compared against the list), the accuracy and thoroughness of the teller taking the check and comparing it to the list, the possibility of rejecting a check writer in error, and the possibility of facing fines and/or penalties from taking a check from a person on the list. Penalties are imposed on the casino if a person on the list is found anywhere on the premises. These penalties are determined at the discretion of the state gaming commission and could ultimately lead to closure of the establishment.